Container and receptacle for tissues



Dec. 1, 1959 w, ROSENMAN ETAL 2,915,218

CQNTAINBR AND RECEPTACLE FOR TISSUES Filed July 12, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT Abrakarrz W fiosegz rfmw Eu 'pipk J7 Grez'ser Dec. 1, 1959 w RQSENMAN ETAL 2,915,218 CONTAINER AND RECEPTACLE FOR TISSUES Filed July 12, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS Abra/1am W Posenmarz PggOZp/Z F? Gra'ser' AGENT United States Patent CONTAINER AND RECEPTACLE FOR TISSUES Abraham W. Rosenman, Fairfield, and Rudolph F. Greiser, Easton, Conn.

Application July 12, 1956, Serial No. 597,394

4 Claims. (Cl. 221-102) This invention relates to packages or containers, and more particularly to a combination tissue dispensing container and disposal receptacle for soiled tissues.

The invention is concerned with improvements in the tissue-dispensing container and receptacle illustrated and described in our Patent No. 2,579,758, issued December 25, 1951, and entitled Dispensing and Disposing Tissue Container.

The device of this patent is formed from a single sheet of material, such as stiff paper or board, which is shaped and folded in such a manner that it constitutes a small, rectangular packet having along one narrow edge a pair of openings providing access to interior compartments, the latter being formed by the provision of a dividing wall or partition resulting from the particular shape and folded arrangement of the blank. 1

While the device of our patent had many features and advantages, it was not intended for the dispensing of tissues from the broad side of a tissue packet, but instead required that the tissues be withdrawn edgewise, from the narrow edge opening. This at times resulted in the tissues becoming torn, and the removal of the tissues was not always most convenient. Also, it was possible for the device to inadvertently become opened under certain circumstances; that is, the folded portions could i become separate, whereby the device then no longer functioned in the proper and intended manner.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages of the device of our prior patent, and one object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved di spensing container and receptacle for pocket tissues, which is so constituted and arranged that the tissues may be withdrawn from the broad side of the tissue packet in a most facile manner and with the minimum likelihood of tearing or difliculty, the soiled tissues being disposable in a receptacle portion of the device through an edge opening thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved dispenser and receptacle as above set forth, which may be readily formed from a single cutout piece or blank of stiff paper sheet or cardboard material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispenser and receptacle as characterized, wherein the forming from the blank may be easily and quickly carried out with a minimum of difiiculty and without requiring appreciable skill.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved tissue dispenser and receptacle device as above set forth, wherein means are provided at the mouth of the receptacle, for preventing inadvertent or undesired removal of soiled tissues once they are placed therein.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a dispenser and receptacle of the above character, in conjunction with novel, displaceable spacing means constituted as an integral part of the blank, by which the receptacle portion of the device is prevented from collapsing but instead is always in condition to receive the soiled tissues.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing and receptacle device asfcharacterized, whereina stift backing member incorporated as a regular component of the tissue packet, is utilized as an interior separating wall or partition, thereby efiecting an economy of material and simplifying greatly theconstruction and assembly of thedevice. I

Yet another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a combinationjdispenser and receptacle, device formed of relatively thin, stiff paper .orcardboard and having a receiving opening along an edge, wherein means are provided forminimizing the likelihood of the: receptacle tearing at said opening.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of novel and improved spacing tabs for hold,- ing the receptacle portionof the device, against collapse, which tabs are interlocked, with each other-to insure against their dislodgment or malfunctioning.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification,.similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever possible in the several views, in which illustrated partly in .plan and partly in horizontal section to reveal interior details. I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y 1

Fig. 4 is a pattern or plan view of the blank, from which the device of Figs. 1-3 is formed.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view'of a combined tissue dispenser and receptacledevice illustrating amodi-f fication of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of. the device of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1-3, the improved dispenser and receptacle 10 of this invention is shown as having gen-'- erally the shape of a rectangular packet or box, with a relatively large or expansive bottom wall 11, a similarly.

stiif paper, paper board or the'like, and is'preferably' moisture resistant to someextent' as by impregnating or coating the paper or board-with a wax,-resin or other suitable substance. completely water resistant, this is not absolutely necessary since it is suflicient for the purposes of the-invention to have the interior surface Waterproofed, soas to prevent moisture from passing through from the inside outward. 1

The device 10 is of a size to accommodate a regular packet or pocket-size package of disposable tissues, such as is commonly found on the market at the present time, and has a thickness or depth greater than that of such a packet of tissues, thereby to enable astorage space to be provided adjacent the bottom wall 11, in which backing sheet 18 we provide spacer means 19 adjacent the bottom wall 11, such spacer means maintaining the sheet or board 18 spaced from the bottom wall 11 and being'yieldable as the soiled tissue storage space becomes filled up, thereby to provide additional space as needed. Upon this occurring, the soiled tissues themselves'will constitute the spacing means, maintaining the separation;

of the partition .18 from the wall 11, as shown.

While-the sheet'material may be Our improved spacing means 19 comprises pairs of tabs 20 extending inward from the corners of the box 10, said tabs having slits 21 and 22 by which they may be interlocked with each other to prevent inadvertent separation.

It will be seen that the tabs. 20 have a width which is a roximately one-half the depth of the box and is slightly less than the total thickness of a package of tissues 24 contained Within the box, as shown in Fig. 3

' In accordance with this invention, the space provided within the box 10 is more than su'fiicieiit to receive a full packet of tissues 24, and the upper wall 12 of the box is provided with a large oblong cutout through which tissues may be easily removed one at a time from the packet 24 without diffieulty and without the likelihood of their tearing. Preferably, the cutout 25 has four rounded corners, as shown, and the longitudinal edges of the cutout are curved outward to give the cutout a somewhat oval configuration. The. cutout 25 extends almost but not quit'e'to the walls and 16, and the remaining narrow portions of the top wall 12', extending angularly with respect to the end walls, provide reinforcement by which the shape of the container isrnaintain'e'd.

Further, in accordance with the invention, a longitudinal side wall of the box 10, here shown as the wall 14, is provided with an elongate opening 27 providing access to the soiled tissue storage space as effected by the tabs in conjunction with the partition 18 of the tissue packet. The opening 27 is in the form of a slit which is provided in the wall 14, and portions 28 and 29 bordering said slit are foldable or bendable inward, thereby to provide a self-locking characteristic to the slit, by which soiled tissues are prevented from being 'discharged once they are disposed of.

For the purposes of minimizing the likelihood of the wall 14 tearing at the ends of the slit 27, we provide a pair of transverse slits 30, preferably of curvilinear configuration extending through an arc of 180 degrees as shown in Fig. 4, said transverse slits facilitating the bending of the wall portions 28 and 39.

It will be noted from a consideration of Figs. 1 and 3 that the slit 27 is disposed adjacent the bottom wall 11 of the box 10, thereby to provide access to the space between said wall and the backing member 18 of the tissue packet; p

It will be readily appreciated that, in accordance with the above construction, we have" provided a novel and improved tissue dispensing container and combined receptac'l'e for tissues, which is'convenient and effective in enabling a user to quickly obtain a tissue and thereafter dispose of the soiled tissue in a very sanitary manner. By virtue of the tissues being easilyremovable from the broadside of the packet, there is no likelihood of such tissues becoming torn. Also, by the provision of the relatively large opening in the top wall 12, together with the rounded corner thereof, the likelihood of said wall tearing is minimized. The provision of the edge opening 27 for the disposal of the tissues provides a'convenient means for this function, and the inwardly bent wall portions bordering said opening effectively contain the soiled tissues, preventing the same from inadvertently being discharged from the'containe'r.

Further, in accordance with our invention, the tissue dispensing container and receptacle shown in Figs. -3 may be readily formed of a single blank of sheet material, such' blank being illustrated in Fig, 4. It will be noted that this blank is somewhat in the'nat'ure' of a box blank, since it has a tab 32 adapted to be glued or otherwise afiixed to the bottom wall 11 of the box, toform the=tubular structure thereof, The end walls 15 and 16 arein the nature'of box ends or flaps', having portions 33 adapted to be folded inward, for engagement withthe bottom wall 11.

The spacer tabs 20 areiformed'iintegral with the'lon'gi tudinal side walls 13 and 14, and such tabshave creaselines 35 by which'theymaysbe bent asindi'cated -in Figs l and 2, to facilitate their retracting movement in response to pressure exerted on them by the soiled tissues place in the storage space.

To facilitate the formation of the box shape, and to reinforce the end walls 15 and 16, additional tabs 37 are provided, disposed alongside of the tabs 20 and arranged to be bent inwardly and to remain in engagement with the inside surfaces of said end walls.

It will be readily understood from a consideration of Fig. 4, that the structure shown in Figs. l-3 may be easily and quickly formed from a flat blank in the same manner that a cardboard box is formed and set up. Thus the tooling and fabrication costs for the device of our invention are held to a minimum figure. Our device is extremely inexpensive, so much so that it may constitute a disposable article of use. Therefore is represents a convenient and sanitary means by which soiled tissues may be easily and quickly disposed of, without the likelihood of spreading contagion or soiling clothing;

A modification of the invention is shown in Figs; 5 and 6 wherein there is provided a box-like structure 40 formed of two shallow tray-like members or box sections 41 and 42,- the box section 42 having an outwardly displaced lip or rim portion 43 for engaging and positioning the rim portion of the section 40 We provide a partition member 45 within the box 40, having a flanged rim 46 also engaged and positioned by the outwardly olfset rim portion 43 of the lower section 42.

The box section 41 has a relatively large dispensing opening 47 in its large panel, and the box section 42 has a disposal slit 48 in one of its side Walls. The components of the structure 40 shown in Fig. 5 may be readily molded of plastic or plastic-like substance of waterproof characteristic, and may be cemented together in their assembled relationship, to prevent inadvertent separation. The structure 40 has the advantages enumerated above in connection with the structure 10 of Figs, 1-3' as regards ease of dispensing of the tissues without the likelihood of tearing of the same, and secure retention of soiled tissues, together with prevention of soiling of the clothing and the sanitary disposing of the tissues.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim: I p

1. A combination tissue dispenser and tissue receptacle device formed from a single folded blank of sheet ma terial, comprising a container of oblong, box-like shape, said container having a pair of oppositely disposed, expansive walls one of which has an oblong opening for dispensing tissues; a stilf partition member disposed in the container and having a size commensurate with the sizes of the said pair of walls, said container having end Walls extending between .said expansive walls, and having spacers disposed along the inside of the other expansive wall between said wall and the partition member, for maintianing the partition member spaced from said wall', and said container further having a longitudinal side wall provided with an elongate slit disposed closely adjacent said other expansive wall, said slit being adapted to receive soiled tissues, said spacers comprising tabs, and said container having additional tabs disposed adjacent said spacer tabs, all of the said tabs being integral with said folded blank forming the container, the end Walls of the container @being hinged and engaging the said additional tabs and said oblong dispensing opening extending for a major portion of the length of the wall in which it is disposed.

2. A combination tissue dispenser and tissue"recep-' tacle 'device formed from a single folded blankof sheet dispensing tissues; a' 'stitf partitionmember' disposed in the container and having a size commensurate with the? sizes of the said pair of walls, said container'having end walls extending between said expansive walls, and having spacers disposed along the inside of the other expansive wall between said wall and the partition member and movable therealong between positions spaced inward from said end walls and positions juxtaposed to said end walls for maintaining the partition member spaced from said other expansive wall, said spacers comprising pairs of tabs having slits, said tabs being interlocked and integral with said folded blank forming the container and said container further having a longitudinal side wall provided with an elongate slit disposed closely adjacent said other expansive wall, said slit being adapted to receive soiled tissues and said oblong dispensing opening extending for a major portion of the length of the wall in which it is disposed.

3. A combination tissue dispenser and tissue receptacle device formed from a single folded blank of sheet material, comprising a container of oblong, box-like shape,

said container having a pair of oppositely-disposed, expansive walls one of which has an'oblong opening for dispensing tissues and having end walls extending between said expansive walls; a stifi partition member disposed in the container and having asize commensurate with the sizes of the said pair of walls; thin spacer strips disposed along the inside of the other expansive wall of the container between said wall and the partition member and movable therealong between positions spaced inward from said end walls and positions juxtaposed to said end walls for maintaining the partition member spaced from said other expansive wall, said spacer strips being at all times disposed edgewise to said other expansive wall and partition member, beingmovable over and past the surfaces thereof which face each other, and being anchored to the sheet material adjacent the margins of said other expansive wall, and said container further having a longitudinal side wall provided with an elongate slit disposed closely adjacent said other expansive wall, said slitbeing adapted to receive soiled tissues and I said oblong dispensing opening extending for a major said end walls and positions juxtaposed to said end walls for maintaining the partition member spaced from said other expansive wall, and said container further having a longitudinal side wall provided with an elongate slit disposed closely adjacent said other expansive wall, said slit being adapted to receive soiled tissues, portions of the said longitudinal side wall adjoining said slit extending angularly inward, to effect a self-locking action and said oblong dispensing opening extending for a major portion of the length of the wall in which it is disposed.

4. A combination tissue dispenser and tissue receptacle device formed from a single folded blank of sheet material, comprising a container of oblong, box-like shape,

portion of the length of the wall in which it is disposed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,939 Craig Jan. 22, 1935 2,287,420 Edmonston June 3, 1942 2,326,433 Broeren Aug. 10, 1943 2,345,309 Wensel' Mar. 28, 1944 2,474,784 Golden June 28, 1949 2,501,357 Speckman et al Mar. 21, 1950 2,566,016 Cochran Aug. 28, 1951 2,592,255 Drees Apr. 8, 1952 2,636,599 Willis et al. Apr. 28, 1953 2,841,276 Schwimmer et al July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 464,373 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1937 

